Fluid clutch mechanism.



No. 864,724. PATENTED AUG. 27, 1907.

' F. M. BROWN.

FLUID CLUTCH MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 19 06.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1 I] III 22% I 28 l l I I I v z 35 i i a? 15 I 46* 3 33 u l No. 864,724.v PATENTED AUG. 27, 1907. P. M. BROWN.

FLUID CLUTCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED rm. 2, 1006.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES nTENT OFFICE.

FREDEBIOK M. BROWN, OF WARREN, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TOISABEL F. HARRIS, OF PROVlDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

FLUID eLU'roH MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1907.

Application filed February 2,1906. Serial No. 299,224.

. To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK M. BROWN, of Warren, in the county ofBristol and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fluid Clutch Mechanism, of which the-following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a fluid clutch mechanism, and has for itsobject the production of a device whereby various speeds may beobtained, ranging from the speed attained by the prime mover, to theslowest posi plan, the cutting plane oeing just below the cover ofthecasing. Fig. 2 represents a-vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 represents a bottom planof the device partly in section, and Fig. 4 represents a verticalsection on line 44 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the several figuresof the drawings.

In the drawings, 10 represents an actuator shaft which is suitablyconnected to and rotated by any prime mover. Said shaft enters andfreely turns within a stufling box 11 in the center of a cover 12 uponthe inclosed annular casing 16. Within said casing 16 is a main chamber27 which may be filled with any suitable non-elastic fluid. Within thismain chamber 27 is located some suitable means for inducing a movementof the fluid. This can be accomplished by mounting any suitable member13 upon a portion of the actuator shaft 10 and securing the same theretoby a key 14 to cause it to rotate with said actuator shaft 10. -Tosecure the proper alinement of the actuator shaft 10 a reduced portion15 thereof extends beyond the member 13 into a suitable bearing upon theannular casing 16. (Jo-acting with said member 13 and revolubletherewith by means of the teeth upon the respective diameters is amember 17 freely revoluble upon a shaft 18, said shaft having reducedend portions 1920 extending into bearings within the cover 12 and casing16.

Theteeth on the revoluble members 1317 rotate against the curved faces22-23 of the chamber 21 in that portion of the casing extending into themain chamber 27 In order to provide a means for conducting the fluid tobe acted upon by the revoluble members 13-17 to the chamber 21 there isprovided a passage 24 extending from near the inner periphery of themember 16 to at all times insure the entrance of the fluid to thechamber 21 while said fluid is under the actiop of centrifugal force.The fluid acted upon by the revoluble members 1317 is impelled throughan opening 26 within a valve 25 andprojccted against the inner peripheryof the casing 16.

It will be seen that if the member 13 is rotated in the direction of thearrow as shown inFig. 1 by means of the actuator shaft 10 the movementis communicated by means of the teeth upon the periphery of said members13-17 to the member 17, driving said member 17 in the direction as shownby the arrow, thus drawing a quantity of the fluid through the passage24 in one side of the chamber 21, and from there it is carried aroundbetween the teeth of the members 13-17 7 against their respective walls2223 and delivered into the opposite side of the chamber 21 and forcingthe same through the passage 26 within the valve 25 and projecting itagainst the inner periphery of the annular casing 16.

It will be seen that if the fluid is permitted to freely pass from thechamber 27 to the chamber 21 and back to 27 there will be no movement ofthe casing 16 about the actuator shaft 10, but if the valve 25 bepartially closed the movement of the fluid would be obstructed, and themember 17 not being able to rotate as rapidly as the member 13 wouldbegin to carry its own axis of rotation about the axis of rotation ofthe member 13, carrying said casing 16 in the direction as shown by thearrow. This movement of the casing 16 is communicated to the actuatedshaft 36 by means of a key 37 securing said shaft 36 to the member 34which is secured to the casing by bolts 35. As herein shown the valve 25is rotated on its trunnion 42 extending within a bearing in the cover 12by means of a shaft 40 integral with said valve 25, said shaft extendingthrough a stufling box 41 upon the casing 16 and being freelyrevolubletherein. lhe shaft '40 has mounted thereon a member 43 having upon itssurface a spiral thread 45. Said member 43 is secured to said shaft 40to cause it to rotate with said shaft by means of a key 44. To cause themember 43 to rotate there is mounted upon the actuated member 36 aslidable member 38 abutting against the member 34 and having anextension 39, said extension surrounding the member 43 and having aspiral recess 46 which co-acts with the spiral 45 upon the member 43.

By this construction it will be seen that a movement of the member 38parallel to the axis of the member 36 allow said valve and actuatingmeans to rotate about the axis of the'member 36. The movement of themember 38 parallel to the axis of the member 36 is limited by anysuitable means and is herein shown to be thus limited by a collar54which surrounds the actuated member 36, and is adjusted along itslength by a set screw 55.

To accomplish a movement of the member 38 any suitable means such as alever 48 is provided, this lever being pivoted at 49 to any stationaryfoundation and 7 moved by any suitable means attached to said lever-48.This lever 48 hasa forked end 50 provided with a revoluble member 51uponeach of the studs 52 which are ber 36.

In order to fill the chambers 21-27 there is projecting within thechamber 27 and upon the casing 16a boss 28 having a filling orifice.This orifice afterthe introduction of the fluid to the chambers 2l.27 isclosed by means of a piston 29, the same having a radial movement withinthe .bo'ss, said movement being limited byQthe stop face 31 and thespring 32. The spring is backed by a screw plug 33 within the casing 16.To prevent any fluid from leaking past the piston 29, said piston haswithin a circumferential groove, a packing 30. The movement of thepiston 29 is controlled by the amount of fluid contained within thechambers 2127.

When the outer casing and its internal chamber-are completely filledwith the liquid the pressure forces the plunger 29 outwardly so that thespring 32 is very nearly compressed, and as the amount of fluid becomesless by reason of its possible leaking through the gland or stuffing box11, the spring 32 causes the piston 29 to follow up the recession of theliquid and eject what little fluid there is within the boss 28 into themain chamber 27, thus causipg the, chambers 2127 to remain at all -timescompletely filled, and also maintain the liquid at a uniform pressure.This is an important feature of the invention and adds materially to theefliciency and operativeness of the device, and effectually maintains aconstant uniform pressure within the casing.

and its chamber.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The actuator shaft 10 isrotated by any prime mover as herein set forth, the normal position ofthe valve 25 remaining open, thus allowing an unimpeded circulation ofthe-fluid from the main chamber 27 to the chamber 21 and back to thechamber 27 again. To start the rotation of the rotated member 36, thelever 48 is moved, byanysuitable means about its pivot 49, therebycausing the member 38 to be moved longitudinally of said member 36 bymeans of the members 51 upon the free ends of the forked portion 50 ofthe member 48 engaging with the circumferential groove of .said member38. This movement will cause said thread 45 engaging the spiral recess46 within the member 39, to rotate the shaft 40 about its axis,partially or wholly closing the valve 25, as the case may be.

This closing of the valve 25 impedes the flow of fluid through thepassage 26 from the chamber 21, and as a result the member 17 upon theshaft 18 will not rotate by reason of this obstruction as rapidly as themember 13 which is driven by the actuator shaft, thus causing the member17 to travel by reason of its decreased speed around the axis of themember 13 in a direction as shown by the arrow on the member 16. Themember 17 by reason of its being retained upon the shaft 18 and freelyrevoluble thereon, carries with it, in its movement around the axis ofthe member 13, the casing 16 in the same direction as that of the member13 as shown by the arrow on Fig. 1, also causing the member 34 which issecured to the member 16 by means of the bolts 35 and the rotated member36, to rotate in unison ,with said casing. From this description it willbe seen that the relative speed of the casing 16 and the member 36 iswholly controlled by the amount of' obstruction'to the passage of thefluid from the chamber 21 to the chamber 27.

It isbelieved that with the foregoing description the operation of theinvention will be thoroughly understood.

I claim as'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the followingclaims:

1. A fluid clutch mechanism Comprising an outer casing, an inner casingarranged within said outer casing and forming an inner chamber at oneside of the center of the outer caslng and having inlet and outletpassages communicating with said inner chamber through its oppositesides, a drive shaft extending through said outer casing and innercasing, an idler shaft journaled within said casing and spaced from thedrive shaft, intermeshing gears carried by said shafts within said innercasing with their inter-engaging teeth in alinement between said inletand outlet passages, a valve arranged in said outlet pas sage andoperating to regulate the flow of liquid through the inner chamber, andmeans for actuating said valve.

2. A fluid clutch mechanism comprising an outer casing, an inner casingarranged within said outer casing and forming a substantially ellipticalinner chamber at one side of the center of the outer casing andconcentric therewith at one end, said inner chamber having inlet andoutlet passages communicating with said inner chamber through its longersides, a drive shaft extending through said puter casing and innercasing concentric with one end of the inner casing, an idler shaftjournaled Within said inner casing and concentric with the other end ofthe same, inter-meshing gears carried by said shafts within said innercasing with their inter engaging teeth in alinement be tween said inletand outlet passages, a valve arranged in said outlet passage andoperating to regulate the flow of liquid through the inner casing, andmeansior actuating said valve. f

3. A fluid clutch mechanism comprising an outer'casing, an inner casingarranged within said outer casing and forming a substantially ellipticalinner chamber at one side of the center of the outer'casing andconcentric therewith at one end, said inner chamber having inlet andoutlet passages communicating with said inner chamber through its longersides, a drive shaft extending through said outer casing and innercasing and concentric with the outer casing and likewise concentric withone end of the inner casing, an idler shaft journaled within said innercasing and concentric with the other end of-the same, intermeshing gearscarried by said shaftswithin said inner casing with uponsaid stud andhaving an arm connected to said spirally threaded collar, and means foractuating said sleeve to cause the operation of said valve.

4. A fluid clutch mechanism comprising an outer casing, an inner casingarranged within said outer casing and forming an inner chamber at oneside of the center of the outer casing and having inlet and outletpassages communicating with said inner chamber through its oppositesides, a drive shaft extending through said outer casing and innercasing, an idler shaft journaled within said inner casing and spacedfrom the drive shaft, inter-meshing gears carried by said shafts withinsaid inner casing with their inter-engaging teeth in alinement betweensaid inlet and outlet passages, a valve arranged in said outlet passageand operating to regulate the flow of liquid through the inner chamber,and means for actuating said valve.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in

presence of two witnesses.

. FREDERICK M. BROWN. Witnesses 2 JAMES W. 000K,v

EVERETT C. WINsLoW.

